UMD Students Stage Anne Washburn’s Post-Apocalyptic Simpsons Epic
The University of Maryland is presenting Anne Washburn’s three-act play “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play,” directed by Elizabeth Dinkova. The story follows survivors after a societal collapse as they retell and reshape a familiar Simpsons episode, eventually elevating Bart Simpson into a savior-like figure. The student production is described as moving, funny, and startling.
The University of Maryland's School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies presents the play in the Kay Theatre at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Performances continue through October 18, 2026. Tickets are $30 plus a $5 booking fee; student and youth tickets cost $10, and UMD students can obtain free tickets.
Directed by Elizabeth Dinkova, artistic director of DC's Spooky Action Theatre, the production runs two hours and 45 minutes with one intermission. Its student cast includes Keegan Perry, Hayden Polsky, Amelia du Bois, Christian Patiag, Heidi Lehan, Juliana Vendetti, and Sonia Thanicatt.
This student staging may invite audiences to reflect on how stories and shared memories help communities cope after upheaval. Theatergoers, students, and local arts patrons could encounter questions about cultural transmission, adaptation, and the role of familiar narratives in rebuilding meaning. The production may also give emerging artists practical experience in ambitious, ensemble-driven work, potentially enriching the Washington, D.C., area's theater ecology.